Compound rail and electrical conductor



F. 0. BOSWELL. COMPOUND RAH. AND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR. APPLICATION menSEPT. 30, 1919.

1,346, 1 68 Patented July 13, 1920.

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COMPOUND RAIL AND ELECTRICAL CONDUCTOR.

Application filed September 30, 1919.

To all whom it may camera:

lle it known that l, l rln'rcrrnn 0. BoswnLL, a ci .lzeu of the UnitedStates, residing at Philadelphia, in the county of Pl'lllZL-LlBlPllltand State of Pennsylvania, have invented new and useful lm n-ovements inQonipound llails and lllectrieal toiuluctors, of which the following isa specification.

My invention relates to a new and useful in'iprovement in compound railsand electrical cmiductors for surface and subway cars and the like, andhas for its object to provide an exceedingly simple and effective deviceof this description, by which the tread of the rail may be removed andanother substituted thereafter when it becomes worn, and the fiu'thcrobject of my invention is to provide for the convenient housing" of anelectrical feed wire in the rail.

d ith these ends in view my invention consists in. the details ofconstruction and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, and thenspecifically designated by the claims.

in order that those skilled in the art to which this inventionappertains may understand how to make and use the same, I will describeits construction in detail, referring by numerals to the accompanying"drawing, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l. is anend view of a track includ ing my improved rails therein, partly brokenaway and sectioned.

Fin. 2 is a plan view of a portion of two base rails showing theelectrical conductor housed therein.

In carrying; out my invention as here embodied, 1, represents the baseof the rail having the usual Flange 2, for securement to the cross ties3 the web of this base rail 1, is formed a head in which is a groove 5.In this groove 5 is housed the conductor wire 6 which may be insulatedfrom the rail by any suitable material when the wire is to be used as afeed wire for carrying an electric current, or

otherwise fused to the rail when it is to be used as a return or bondwire. 7 represents the tread which is superimposed on the head andcompletes the housing for the feed wire, and with this tread is formed aweb 8, adapted to lie against the web of the base rail and be securedthereto by the bolts 9 and 10, the latter being of sufficient length tothread into one end of the spacing rod 11.

Specification of Letters Patent.

"tighter against each and upon the upper edge of Patented July13, 1920.Serial No. 327.371.

The upper face of the rail 1 is inclined as indicated at 12, while theunderside of the tread T is correspondingly inclined, so that when thetwo rails are bolted together, any weight thereon will tend to draw'thewebs other, thus relieving the bolts of undue strain.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that in constructing atrack the base rails may be first placed in position and the treadthereafter secured thereon, the two rails of the track being properlyspaced and held together by the rods ll. When the treads become wornthey may be replaced by new treads, by simply removiiu, the bolts 9 and10, without disturbing the base rails, thus effecting great economy forrepairs.

in elevated or subway tracks the wires 6 may be spot welded or otherwisefused. to

the rails and the spacing rods 11 insulatedfrom the rails so that thecurrent being fed through one of these wires will bridge across thewheels of the motor running in contact with. the rails and therebyconveyed to the opposite rails, being carried off by the wire 5 therein.

ri lion the track is for trolley service the wires will make acontinuous connection between the rails, or, in cases where it is founddesirable, one of the wires may be insulated and suitable connectionsmade therewith for conveying the current to a trolley, the opposite wireserving as a return or grounding wire.

The ends of the spacing rods 11, wherein the bolts are threaded, arepartially cut away as indicated at 13 in order that the end threads ofthese bolts may be upset to lock said bolts against accidentaldisplacement.

The meeting surfaces of the webs, head and tread may be coated toprevent rusting, or suitable material llltGlPOSGd therebetween for thatpurpose.

Of course I do not wish to be limited to the exact details ofconstruction herein shown and described as these may be varied withinthe limits of the appended claims without de )artin from the s )lllt ofmv in vention.

Having thus fully described my invention what I claim as new and usefulis 1. In a railway track, the combination of two part rails, one partsuperimposed upon the other, a housing; formed. in said rails. feedwires located in saidhousings and fused to the rails, and spacing rodsfor holding eachline of rails in position relative to the other.

2. In a railway track, the combination of 5 two part rails, spacing rodsfor holding each line of rails in position relative to the other, boltsfor securing the rails together and to the spacing rods, said spacingrods having out-away portions through which a portion 01": thethreads ofthe-bolts may be upset. 10

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto affixed my signature.

FLETCHER O. BOSWELL. V

